[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        VOTE FOR MEDICARE REFORM

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, Medicare is a 1965 Blue Cross/Blue Shield 
program that was started by Lyndon Baines Johnson and is frozen in 
time. According to the President's board of trustees, it is going broke 
by 2002 and it does not matter if we had a balanced budget and we had 
no tax cuts, the plan is still going broke by 2002.
  Now, health care in the private sector has improved in the last 30 
years, but Medicare is frozen in time. We have a plan not only to 
preserve and protect Medicare, but we are also going to allow 
additional options to seniors. We also have a increase in spending from 
$4,800 per year to $6,700 per year.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we not only need to have Medicare reform, but I 
think we need to have remedial math, too, because going from $4,700, 
excuse me $4,800 to $6,700 per year per beneficiary is an increase in 
spending and not a cut. I urge my fellow Congressmen to vote for 
Medicare reform.

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